Ari SQRD
A podcast about NFL football hosted by two guys named Ari
Ari SQRD
Sauce, Surtain & The CB War: Ranking the NFL’s Shutdown Artists
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We kicked things off with the massive NFL extensions shaking up the league, breaking down the blockbuster deals for Patrick Mahomes and Jeffery Simmons and what they mean for the future of their franchises. From there, we dove into one of the hottest debates in football: ranking the league’s best cornerbacks. We broke down what truly makes a shutdown CB, from coverage ability and QB ratings when targeted, to interceptions, consistency, durability, and impact in the run game, before revealing our Top 15 cornerback rankings and debating the biggest questions: Who really deserves the #1 spot? Are elite slot corners undervalued? Who’s rising, and who’s getting too much hype? With names like Patrick Surtain II, Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzalez and more entering the conversation, the CB room was anything but quiet. We wrapped things up with our fan-favorite “Guess That Number” segment, where football knowledge, confidence, and a little bit of luck collide. Another episode packed with rankings, debates, and the kind of NFL conversations that keep the offseason alive.
Welcome back to another episode of Ari Squared. We are your hosts, Ari Lev and Ari Berkowitz, coming to you on a Monday, kicking off the week, right? Because what better way to start off your week than listening to or watching an episode of Ari Squared? Lots going on. We got a great episode coming up for you guys today. But before we dive into the episode, guys, remember, please go ahead and give us a subscribe on YouTube. Give us a follow on Instagram. You can find us on all the podcast networks. Please share, comment, like, leave a five-star review, and help us grow the community as always. Now, Ari, I feel like this is the last time I'm going to start off our pod this way, but congratulations on your Knicks. What a run, man. Knicks and five baby. And it was as a non-Knicks fan, and then I want to hear from you as a Knicks fan. As a non-Knicks fan, seeing the parade, that by 7:30 in the morning, they had to ask people to stop showing up. There were over 2 million people there, and it really felt like it united the city and gave hope to all the New York franchises about winning a championship of their own. And I think was an inspiration for teams across sports in general. So Ari, as a Knicks fan, let us know how let us all know how you are feeling.
SPEAKER_01Well, just uh pure jubilation. I've uh never experienced this in my life. Um, not just for the Knicks, but uh any any team that I follow, I've never seen them win a championship until last Sunday. So I mean uh from that standpoint, it just it was amazing. It was one of the best uh feelings I've ever had um in my life, and uh just just an incredible ride, an incredible journey, incredible team, and uh I'm I'm very grateful to have finally uh had that experience.
SPEAKER_00All right, excellent. Well, Ari again, and and we will not be talking about the Knicks. Um, probably much more on the what? What why do you look so sad? What you you made a sad face when I said we're not going to be talking about the Knicks anymore.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I did not realize. I apologize.
SPEAKER_00So for all of our listeners who can't see Ari's face, Ari looked all of a sudden very sad at the prospect of not talking about the Knicks. But we are a football podcast when you know, when all is said and done, of course, as you know, other things come up in different sports that I think you know we think are cool. Of course, we can mention and talk about them. And when one of our teams um in one of the other sports goes ahead and wins a championship, like the Knicks just did, certainly an honorable mention, but we are a football podcast, and let's get back on that. So let's kick off the pod today, Ari, with some news and notes around the NFL, including two different players getting the bag, all right. So we'll start with Jeffrey Simmons DT on the Titans. And I mean, wow, a hell of an extension. Three years, 105.8 million, and I think one of the most telling parts is not just that number, but the fact that 100 million of that is guaranteed. Interestingly enough, the only two DTs in NFL history to earn contracts and extensions over 100 mil both went to Mississippi State. They, of course, being Jeffrey Simmons, who just got his extension, and the other one. Who is it, John? Who would it be? Ari, who's the other one?
SPEAKER_01Hains Albert Hainsworth.
SPEAKER_00Nope, he did not go to Mississippi State. But didn't he make a hundred million dollars? That's yeah, but not guaranteed. I'm talking about the hundred million guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01Oh, guaranteed. Oh, off the top, I was too done. Who who is it? Chris Jones. Oh, that's great. That's a great one. Yeah, I forgot they both went to the same school. I forgot that he went to Mississippi State. That was so long ago already. Wow, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So there you go. So it's pretty impressive. Um, you know, well, well, well, well, well deserved. That goes without saying, and congratulations, Jeffrey Simmons. What really, really, truly well deserved. Um, he's been arguably one of the best DTs out there. And you know it's interesting, you know. I just like I'm spitballing literally as I say this, is you know, people spoke about Dexter Lawrence, you know, and and arguably he was certainly one of the best DTs. Nobody, not the Giants, and for that matter, not the Bengals after you know, trading for him. Nobody's given him this kind of money, and so that that that that something you know that does say something. I don't know if it's his off-year last year, I don't know if it's because you know he had gotten an extension and this would be his next extension. The fact that he does seem to have you know injuries every year, but I do think that the both Giants and Bengals' reluctance to sign Dexter Lawrence to an extension of this nature does say something. I don't know what it says, but it says something. Before we move on to the next big extension, Ari, your thoughts on the Jeffrey Simmons extension.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, the the fact of the matter is, I'm pretty sure that Jeffrey Simmons would be my number one defensive tackle in the NFL. Agreed. Um, or or very close to it. You know, he he's just absolutely dominant uh in the run game and uh is is a hell of a pass rusher from inside as well. He's multidimensional and phenomenal. And so basically, you know, it's very interesting to me because I remember the 2019 draft very, very well. And it will surprise a lot of people to know that uh Jeffrey Simmons was actually the fifth defensive tackle taken in that first round. Uh the guys who went before him were Quinnen Williams, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and oh no, now I'm forgetting who the Ed Oliver. Okay, Ed Oliver. Now, like what a lineup of defensive tackles. This I mean Ed Oliver may be top 10, top 15, um, but every single one of those other guys has either been top uh top talent at his position in any given year, and is probably a top seven defensive tackle, top eight right now. So well, aside from Wilkins.
SPEAKER_00What do you mean? Wilkins is not currently on a team, he was cut by the Raiders, and there are a lot of stories swirling about him.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, fine. So he's not not right now, but I'm just I'm just saying. No, but he was in 2023. The dude had nine sacks as a defensive tackle in 2022. He had almost a hundred tackles as a defensive tackle, and in 2021, he also almost had a hundred like unbelievable production. Yeah, his personal stuff and and whatever. If he was in the NFL though, and playing to his talent level, he would be a top eight uh defensive tackle, is is what I should have said. So, yeah, it's just it's a crazy and so Jeffrey Simmons, who went fifth out of all of that group, even though to my estimation, he was the best offensive tackle coming out of that out of that draft, even ahead of Quinnen Williams, in my opinion. And I wasn't happy that the Jets ended up with Quinn and Williams so high when they could have gone Jeffrey Simmons. Um, it's because Jeffrey Simmons uh was injured, he had a terrible leg injury, and everyone knew that not only did he not complete his last season in college, but he would miss almost all of his entire first year in college. It just goes to show you how taking a bet on that kind of situation and late in the first round, what kind of rewards it can uh produce. So so happy for Jeffrey Simmons.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely and agreed. All right, moving on to our next huge extension, and I think it is a brilliant move. It was a brilliant move when they originally signed him to the contract, and this extension just makes all the more sense. Is Patrick Mahomes signing his extension, which is just you know, the numbers are insane. The he's not he they reworked his contract, he's now signed to with the Chiefs through 2033, which means that's two years post them moving to the new stadium. The new contract is was signed at 504.75 million dollars with incentives, it has the ability to go all the way up to 5.22 million. This now gives him the highest average contract at 63 million dollars a year, and it is just absolutely wild. Now, what I think is genius is again the way this was signed back in the day when they first signed him to the 10-year deal, and the way that they've been able to use it as a form of reworking, the fact that they got their guy, and the thing is, is that they, if you really think about value, like think of the fact that um Dak Prescott, who again good quarterback, right? Think of the fact that they his cap hit and this average that's where Dak's at, and Dak is nowhere near the quarterback that Mahomes is. So the fact that they were able to do this is just really, really, really, really smart when all said and done. What's wild is the fact that this ultimately, the new money on this deal is 239 million dollars, which is just absolutely wild, all things considered. So, congratulations to Patrick Mahomes. Well done, arguably the best quarterback in the game today. If he can continue to play at the level that he has and can continue to stack Super Bowl wins like he has, he will eventually be in Brady conversations, but he's not there yet. So, congratulations to Patrick Mahomes, to the Chiefs, and to, of course, all of Mahomes' family. Excited for him, well deserved. He's a hell of a QB. And obviously, we'll talk more about the Chiefs later on when we do our AFC West breakdown. So, Ari, thoughts on this extension.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I think you got it completely covered. I don't have much to add past the fact that it's uh it's it's great for the best players, just like we talked about with Jeffrey Simmons, to be making uh a lot of money. It's it's great for them, it's great for the sport, and uh well deserved.
SPEAKER_00Excellent. All right, Ari, before we move on to our next plans um segment, I something came out this week that I've been meaning to get your opinion on. And um, of course, for our listeners, Ari does not know what I'm about to ask him. Um, but I really I saw this come out. I'm like, oh my god, I need to know Ari's take on it. So reportedly, supposedly, um Woody Johnson said that he is strongly considering separating the Jets from MetLife Stadium and the Giants and building a new stadium in Long Island and really actually making the New York Jets actually the New York Jets as opposed to a team that plays in New Jersey. I don't know if you saw this report or not. And even with or without seeing the report, Ari, what are your thoughts on this? Good move, bad move? Would you like this move? Tell us as a Jets fan what you're feeling.
SPEAKER_01I'll tell you more than anything what comes to mind, and I had this feeling a few years ago already. Um, I think Woody Johnson is very, very ready to sell the New York Jets. I think it's time. Um, and I think this is gonna be his final play. Where, you know, when you're that wealthy, um, it's not a matter of of you know timing. Like it's it's timing it right for the the most bang for your buck. So if you're gonna sell it now, I'm pretty sure that a couple years ago when he hired a team to look to look into uh options to selling, you know, he was basically looking for for $10 billion, which at that point was unheard of. And um, if he got anything less, he wasn't gonna sell, which is exactly what happened. If he builds a stadium, all right, so so in a in a very uh conservative estimate, right? If it's not even, you know, not even the land deal hasn't even happened yet. We're talking about 2031. Um, very, very conservative, it could be 2035. And basically, we're talking about Woody Johnson. I think now he's uh close to 80 years old. Um, but basically, yeah, he's 79 years old. And um what I would think is that if the Jets had their own stadium, and obviously it would be state of the art, uh somewhere between 2031 and 2035, they could uh you know set the market once again for sports franchises. Again, we have to take into account that by then it will be legal to gamble in most places in New York State, and there could be a whole casino deal around that or a whole area that that you know, all of that. And we could be talking about a watershed deal of maybe even 20 billion dollars for a brand new stadium. Um, and and and I'll tell you what it's what it will pivot on. It will pivot on if Aaron Glenn, Darren Muji, and Geno Smith could do anything at all this season, if they can show that this team is on uh the right trajectory and you know some kind of land deal is is done, and the Jets have three first round picks and was being widely being considered the best first the best first round in in the last two decades. And if all of that is going in a certain direction, you know, may maybe on the promise of it, Woody gets 15 billion uh next year. So so that's all I think this is. Um would it as a fan, uh, would it be great? Yeah, I was all for the West Side Stadium when that was supposed to happen. So uh yeah, it's very cool. And and you know, it's it's time to move off of the shared stadium idea. I get it for big cities, but like LA has been doing it for a few years. New York, come on, you know, we we we could we're big enough to to have if if the Yankees and Mets, which in but baseball, it's it's just impossible. But if the Yankees and Mets shared a stadium, I mean, like people would be up in arms. Like it's it's time to separate this. Like everyone knows the Meadowlands is giant stadium, it will always be giant stadium. Um, it's time for the home brand, and it's true, yeah. Of course it's true. That's just how it is.
SPEAKER_00All right, well, I wanted to get your thoughts on that. I I saw it come up, I meant to like message it to you, didn't work out. So I'm like, you know what? Let's go ahead and get your thoughts on it. Um, I love it, I love it. That was great. Okay, all right. So let's move on over to our next segment. Just to tell our listeners or our viewers, depending on where you're getting RE squared, what we're doing is we are continuing with our top ranked players. The position we went with today is cornerbacks. And the idea, and now we're I I am specifically saying cornerbacks because this is just CBs, this is not defensive backs. This list does not include safeties on it. We will, of course, at a later episode get the safeties as well. But today we are going to focus on our defensive on our sorry, our cornerbacks, and the idea behind it is that we have much like we did last week, we ultimately went with a consensus list uh that Ari and I built together. And again, guys, we're open to feedback. So if you like it being a consensus list or if you prefer to hear from us that you want us to each make our own list, we are definitely open and are happy to give our listeners what they want and crave. So just let us know, drop us a comment, give us feedback on that, and we'll be happy to do that. All right, so are you do you want to start us off with the lowest tier of cornerbacks?
SPEAKER_01Yes, and I just want to add that for this week um doing corners and next week doing receivers, we we're doing like a teens list, whereas uh we tried to contain it to 15 guys. This this uh group of it ended up being 16, which you'll see why in a second. Um, but basically, uh because of the amount you you know, wide receivers and cornerbacks today is pretty much uh three starters, and so we didn't think that it would be right to do just 10 guys, which we were doing for other positions that again have you know about 60 something starters, and these spots have 90 something starters. So that that's why we we have uh we'll we'll contain it to 15 or 16 guys, uh, you know, receivers again, very deep, but the cornerback class is just growing and growing, and with that, we'll start with uh uh you know a list that's heavy on the last two or three drafts. So uh in go ahead.
SPEAKER_00Oh no, no, I I was just to agree with you that it was the past few drafts. I was just saying yes, okay, awesome.
SPEAKER_01So uh uh with that being said, uh in tier four, we got uh Christian Gonzalez coming in at 16. I know a lot of people will be a little bit surprised uh to find Christian Gonzalez, who's obviously built up uh immensely in the media more than anywhere else, as you know, this this glove in coverage. And I just I'd like for anyone, and and you know, I'm a Jets fan, and you can say, oh, you know, this is you hating on the Patriots. I ranked the Patriots and and uh uh Drake May so high because I genuinely think that that's their talent level. Christian Gonzalez, I've seen him play, and I've seen I've been blessed as a Jets fan. One of the few things to see excellent cornerback play. And Christian Gonzalez, does he have the chance to do it? Is he sometimes like that? Sure. Is he consistently a blanket cover guy? No, he is not. So that's why he's he's at 16. It was it was a very tough call with our our two guys before, and we we decided to have him in this tier four with DJ Turner, our 15th guy, who again, uh recent draft pick uh is just continuing to improve. And again, like like I'll say about Christian Gonzalez, anyone who hasn't seen DJ Turner, he shows flashes and more so than Christian Gonzalez, of uh shutdown capability that with you know the addition of Christian Wilkins and with what the Bengals have going on at linebacker, with uh their their pass rushers who they've drafted in the last few drafts, if they can materialize, we could be looking at uh an outside chance of a top 10 defense with what they have going on, which could be very, very cool. DJ Turner there and Dax Hill there, and their defense, it's just not what it was under uh uh you know the early borough years, and it's starting to look more like the second uh phase of Manning's career with this defense when all of a sudden everyone's like, since when do the Colts have a sick defense? And that's that's what it's looking like. And so, you know, DJ Turner is one of the underrated uh uh pieces of that equation. And then at 14, we got Nate Wiggins on the Ravens. He had it again, he had an uneven year last year, the year before that. He was absolutely phenomenal. He's extremely young, he is long, he is quick, and he just looks like the prototypical next Ravens shutdown corner. Uh, to take uh uh you know, from from uh uh who was it? Uh I always get confused between Marlon Humphrey. Was that the guy? Yeah, and and yes, he so it looks like he's going to take the mantle from Marlon Humphrey and be that next uh Ravens shutdown. So that's tier four. Three young guys all showing potential, but have had uh uh little bits of you know uh it's it's uh I don't know if you know this looks uh you know, so so we'll see we'll see if they can all put it together completely this year and you know play at a pro bowl level for an entire season.
SPEAKER_00And look, you know, it's gonna be interesting to see is um you know the fate of of you know both DJ Turner and Nate Wiggins. And what I'm referring to is this let's think DJ Turner, for example, the Bengals. You know, Barrow recently said in an interview that the vibes he's getting from the the Bengals of this year so far feel like the championship team that he played on at LSU. So DJ Turner, especially now with you know the additions that they've made at on their defense, you know, Dexter Lawrence being among that. And when you have a stronger D line, that helps the corners look even better. So I feel like DJ Turner has the ability on the merit of an improved defense overall to raise his game even more and make his way up this list for next season. Nate Wiggins, on the other hand, and again, this is not taking away from his individual play. It's going to be interesting to see does he take a step forward now, no longer in the hard bus system, or just no longer being in the hard bus system, does he now take a step back? So it'd be very interesting to see, even though we have Nate Wiggins above DJ Turner, it's going to be very interesting to see after the season. A, do they which one of them ends up above the other? And B, how much up this list do each of them go? Or is it possible that you know we see one of them fall out of this list because of, especially I would say, leaning a bit more towards Wiggins? Who knows what he's going to be like in the new system? DJ Turner staying in the same system with improvement. So that would be my thoughts on the on the bottom tier here. So Ari, why don't we move on to the next tier? Take it away.
SPEAKER_01Sure. And I'll I'll just add briefly that Jesse Minter um really had his corners play up. Um you know, not really known guys like Tarheb still uh was just absolutely phenomenal in the Minter uh system last year in in LA. And and we'll uh tier three. Uh we have a rookie from last year who just he he blew me away. Um, Upton stout for the 49ers. It's like the 49ers have done it again, where they take a mid-round pick, and just after just after half a season, the first few games, he looked all over the place. It wasn't if you saw him uh stretch run and in the playoffs, the guy is one of the best nickels already in the NFL, and he is obviously uh for me a a top 13 uh corner right now, uh already surpassing his teammate uh Lenore, who uh uh you know had a had a down uh season last year, but he may recover. But Upton Stout is just a phenomenal uh corner. Anyone who who saw him play in college knew that, but a lot of doubters you know doubted his his size and physique and how that would translate to the NFL. After one year, it is pretty clear that it translates, and he will be on a short list of guys um who are going to be you know uh in the Pro Bowl conversation all season uh for corners in the NFC. Uh moving to number 12, we got Cooper Dejean. And you know what can we say about about Nichols, who are just all over the place. You know, it's hard to watch an Eagles game at this point without you know uh seeing Cooper Dejean. And it's actually very interesting to me because Quinyon Mitchell is going to be a little bit higher up on our list, is more like the the type where um he kind of takes his receiver out of the game and you don't really notice him, and he's like a behind the scenes guy, and that's also a tribute to how good he is in coverage. Whereas, you know, Cooper Dejean is just all over the place making plays in the middle of the field, making plays on the ball, and uh he's just a very fun player to watch. Ari, I I know that as someone who watches him twice here and has seen him grow into what he's become. Um, I I know that uh you definitely have a lot of what to say on Cooper DeGene.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Well, first of all, I I do want to start out by saying is that one of the most impressive things is the fact that he is a white corner, which we really do not see a lot of. And to be able to play to the level that he does, he's a thumper. I mean, you see that guy tackle, like it hurts. And you know, I think back to his rookie season where the Eagles won the Super Bowl, and the fact that he had an interception in that Super Bowl, and I thought that that was like, here we go. Like the fact that they were able to draft both uh uh Cody on Mitchell and Cooper Dejean in the same draft and have them instantly make an impact. And you know, that just goes again to Howie Roseman just being probably the best GM in football, if not top three, if he's not the number one. And Cooper Dejean, you know, and I hate to say this again as a Giants fan, like, yeah, it sucks that we have to go up against him and Mitchell twice a year. They're hell of a corners, and they're they're gonna go ahead and give us headaches, um, you know, for unfortunately many years to come.
SPEAKER_01Well, well said, Ari. And and just anyone who doesn't know his numbers, the guy had 16 passes, defensed, 93 tackles, two interceptions. I mean, it's wild. And and honestly, by the way, and if you know the answer to this, please let me know. I could not think of any other white cornerback to play in the NFL in my lifetime. Um, at least as a fan. Does anyone come to your to mind for you?
SPEAKER_00So, no, not a fan. I know there was like someone else because I remember when they were talking about him coming out and he's gonna drive it. Oh, he's the first starting white corner since, and I forget who the since was, but it's definitely not a common thing, and it's not like he is an afterthought who rides the bench, who's like the eight-string cornerback who barely makes the team every year. He is an impact starter, and it is very impressive to see what he's doing. And again, as much as he is on the Eagles, I do comment his play, and he's a hell of a player.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it's it's actually um fascinating considering the fact that we're going to have another white corner a little bit higher up on our list. Um, and the craziest part is that they actually went to the same college. Um, I believe that the last uh white corner in the NFL was actually on the Giants. Um yes, there you go. And now you know who I'm talking about. So you you you you break it, Ari. You break it.
SPEAKER_00I don't remember the name, I'm not gonna lie. I now remember as you mentioned, I was like, Yes, he did actually play on the Giants. Um, but I am not remembering his name.
SPEAKER_01Yes, so the guy's name was uh Jason Seahorn. Oh yes, yes, yes, yes. There we go. He was he was uh a giant folk legend for for quite quite a few years. Um, and and and he was very, very good. Um, he had excellent numbers throughout his long illustrious career, and only in his last year with the Rams did he move to safety. So the last time there was a white cornerback in the NFL was 2002, until uh Cooper Dejean was drafted a couple years ago. So that is a wild thing to know because uh literally every other position, um, whether it be you know the obvious ones like quarterback kicker and punter, um, or you know, wide receiver offense, there is no other position that this kind of parody exists or even close to it in the NFL. So to go almost 22 years without having a white player at the position is straight up wild. It's straight up wild.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, and let's move on in terms of our next player on list. I believe the next corner we're gonna talk about is actually the oldest corner on this list, if I'm not mistaken. And you know, something that stands out about the list, and we'll talk about this at the end, but just because Jalen Johnson, who is the next corner on our list, the corner is if there is a position in the NFL that is a young man's game, and I would say a really young man's game, it's going to be cornerback. The ability that you know, we see them come through, but I it it is very rare to find a starting corner over the age of 30 in the NFL, and that you know definitely goes credit, not the Jalen Johnson. I believe he's 29. He's 27, and there's one older guy on the list, but just one. Okay, my bad. But we can see the think of the fact that, like the fact that you know he's the second oldest guy at that age, so impressive player, nonetheless. Like what he's doing, and um it's impressive that he's even on this list at all, given the fact, again, that we know that it's such a young man's game. Um, it'll be interesting to see if he continues to progress forward. I do think that he is playing some of his best football. I think last season he had one of his best seasons ever. Um, I do contribute that to you know Ben Johnson and the defensive system that he's brought in. Um, but let's see. Let's see if he continues to ascend or if this is gonna unfortunately be that time in his in a corner's career where you start going the other direction. So those are my thoughts on Jalen Johnson. Um, anything uh to add there, Ari, or you want to move on to our next one?
SPEAKER_01I I think you hit the nail on the head, Ari. And um, I think that it's definitely time to move on to our final player in uh tier three, um, which I have as uh Brandon Stevens uh on the Jets. And uh this this is like very, very shocking revelation to whomever saw Brandon Stevens in the first six, seven, or eight games of this of the year, and uh you know he was just getting beaten over the top every single game, and I wanted to kill myself. And uh all of a sudden, um, toward the time where they decided to trade Gardner, but it really happened a game or two before, he was uh I think top three corner in the NFL, according to all metrics, and you can see it. Like I I tried very hard not to, but I ended up seeing too many Jets games, and uh Brandon Stevens was the definition of a lockdown corner when he was on the field in the second half, and um he's just that good that he is you know just outside of the top 10. And I'd like to see it again, but based off of the fact that he's always had the the physique and the physical attributes to do it, and looks like he finally put it together under Aaron Glenn. Um, maybe he'll even get an interception next year, but we'll see.
SPEAKER_00It's funny you say that because when you say Jets corners, and we have both Brandon Stevens, who is a Jets corner actively, we've got Sauce Gardner, who was a Jets corner, and I I just have to bring up again, and you did it for me, but I'll just reiterate it and pointed out again the fact that despite having a head coach who was a former cornerback in the NFL, the Jets went on to get set a record that literally cannot even ever be broken because you can at best tie it where they had they went an entire season with a big old fat donut, zero interceptions, and it's quite wild that that's where we're at.
SPEAKER_01I'm just I I think that the Jets open up the year on the road, uh, if I'm not mistaken, but I can just imagine yes, because the Giants are at home, so yes. There we go. So and and there's even a chance, if I'm not mistaken, that they have their first two games um on the route. But uh I no, they're they're okay. So they they play the Packers in MetLife in their second game. I can just imagine. Imagine if they don't have an interception in game one, which you know, for all intents and purposes, it is possible, isn't possible, you know, it is probable, it isn't probable, rather. Um, imagine their first interception of the year happening in game two against the Packers. MetLife is going to cheer in the most sarcastically awesome way possible that it's going to be some kind of sight if that happens. So, you know, that that would be quite quite the scene, but I don't see the Jets' uh lack of interceptions lasting much more than two or three games. And if it does, like, you know, all bets are off. All bets are off. So with that, you want to inaugurate our tier two for corners.
SPEAKER_00Yes, let's do it. All right, so coming in at the bottom of the tier two would be Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams, was of the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the you know, the beginning of the season. Um, hell of a corner. Um, and I believe, you know, if we much like we spoke about DJ Turner having the ability to, you know, enjoy the spoils of having a hell of a D line in front of him. I mean, my God, did any team improve their D line in the way that the Rams did with the Miles Turner trade? And Miles Garrett, I don't uh yes, him. Um, and I don't know why I messed that name up, but Miles Garrett, oh, because I said DJ Turner right before that.
SPEAKER_02Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Um, so with my the addition of Miles Garrett, and I am confident that Aaron Donald is going to join the Rams this season. It might not be for week one, he might wait later on in the season, it might not even be till like closer to the playoffs or for the playoffs themselves. But I do believe that Aaron Donald is going to come out of retirement, and then at that point, you know, the corners are gonna just be able to literally pull out lawn chairs and just sit. Because how are you going to stop that D-line? Like you how it'll just be impossible to contain everyone, but even with that, I think Trent McDuffie is going to ascend to a whole new level because if there was a bit of a Keely seal at time on the Chiefs defense, it was aside from Chris Jones who was really um rushing the passer, and so it was quite, you know, it was quite incredible to see exactly, you know, just how it's going to be rather how incredible to see how just how much more he can ascend. And I think we're going to see Trent McDuffie crack the top five this coming season. Um, after playing with that kind of line in front of him.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, well, well said, and um, we we all know that the talent is is there for Trent McDuffie. Absolutely. All right, moving on to our next one. Ari, go ahead. So, coming in next is Jamel Dean, the elder statesman on the list. Yes, that's right.
SPEAKER_00He is older than than Jalen Johnson.
SPEAKER_01The wild age of 29 years old. The guy has been a lockdown corner for the last five years now. And um, anyone who just wants to turn on a Buccaneers game, I mean, they they back to the days that they had Sean Murphy bunting and Carlton Davis, they've he's just been phenomenal and you know, shockingly, shockingly has never been selected to a Pro Bowl. Um, and and his I just want this to go on the record by the fact that his completion percentage against last year was under 15%. Fifth, sorry, under 50%. Okay. The total amount of yards against him was 424 yards, which was like what he's been doing for years now. And uh, you know, he just is the definition of a lockdown corner. Obviously, the past few years, he's been slowed by injuries, he has not played a full season close to it, um, which is limiting his production. He's only in the the high uh single digits of passes defensed. Um, and he never usually, you know, he hasn't ever gotten more than three. He had three interceptions last year. He's never had more than three interceptions because he's such a lockdown teams shy away from him. But if you ask any opponents specifically in the NFC South, they'll all say, We are going to the other side of the field with Jamel Dean on the field. So that that's why he's there. He is just a hell of a football player. Will he last? Who knows? His injuries scare me, but that that's why he is where he is on the list. Hell of a football player, so underrated and well deserving of the spot.
SPEAKER_00And you know who he has a chance to catch an interception from this year? Michael Panix.
SPEAKER_01Oh, there we go. There we go. He does, and I'd love to see that happen. Me too.
SPEAKER_00All right, moving on to our next corner on the list. Back to the Eagles, we go with Quention Mitchell again, hell of a corner, and he, you know, he he has just been so consistent, so good since joining the league. You know, he made an impact. You know, there's some players who take time to kind of get a you know acclimated to the speed of the game. And Quention Mitchell just walked right into the NFL and he was like, yo, I'm here, and again, impressive that both he and Cooper Dejean, and as good as Cooper DeGine is, the fact that Queneon Mitchell is even better than that is just you know as impressive. And I mean, my god, when they so when the Eagles selected him, like, seriously, like, how how do we go ahead and and and get that level of play? They always seem to get their draft right, they always know how to move up or down the draft board with trades and really get some of the best players um out there. I would say the only, and and I'm stepping away from Mitchell himself for a second here, but I would say is the only whiff that how that that that Roseman's ever had was when they went and selected um Jalen Rager. Yes, Jalen Rager probably ahead of taking Justin Jefferson. That would be the only whiff that I could you know put on Howie Roseman, whatever. Okay, maybe a few others, but that was probably the biggest, most impactful one. But getting back to to Mitchell for a moment, hell of a corner, and he is just ascending, he's gonna get even better. And do I think he's gonna be top three? No, no, I think his sweet spot and is probably what's gonna be throughout his career. He's gonna be in that top, you know. I would say his his ceiling is top five. I don't think he's ever gonna be like top three or the top corner in the in the league, but who knows? Let's see how he plays this season, but definitely a hell of a corner. And again, unfortunately, pays for a division rival, and we need to face him twice a year.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, Ari. That's uh that's a hell of a way to wrap that up for Quinyan Mitchell, um, which moves us into our top six with Riley Moss, who is uh one not a relative of Randy's. No, he is not, he is not. He he may be his father, but we we have to do some uh DNA testing on that. I mean Riley Moss being Randy's father, just as for joke's sake. Uh Riley Moss, the second white corner on our list, and the second white corner from Iowa on our list. What I mean, you know, again, like a guy that just came into the NFL and is making this kind of immense impact, being, you know, I think it was top three or top five in passes defense. And I mean, what kind of onus are you putting on a player by having him play, you know, across from Patrick Sertan? And the fact that he can then end the year with 19 passes defense, which again, it was top three, it could have been best in the league, just absurd. So, yeah, what did he let up a lot of yards and coverage? Of course, but like he was attacked 120 times. Just for example, Quinyan Mitchell was targeted 80 times last year. Uh, Riley Moss was targeted 50 more than Quinyon Mitchell. Um, so it's crazy. So, yeah, he has a lot of passes defensed. Um, his coverage numbers are a little bit skewed, but he improved, he's been improving every single year and playing in that defense. And uh to me, he's just uh a bona fide top six uh cover corner, and he's just going to get better, and that defense is scary.
SPEAKER_00Oh, absolutely, it was scary last year, and I think it's gonna be even scarier this year. And I do think the fact that they added Waddle on offense, which is going to make their offense more explosive, put up more points, it's gonna be easier for their defense to pin their ears back and just go feast on the court on the quarterback. And I think that's gonna lead to even higher numbers. And yeah, Riley Moss, if you think about the tall task, yeah, you play opposite the number one quarterback. Corner in the league, you're gonna be taking a lot of fire and to be able to go ahead and do what he did. And yes, did he give up yards? Sure, he did, but that kind of comes with the territory. He showed improvement game over game throughout the season. And what I think is cool is the fact that you know Cooper DeGine, the fact that you know, in Iowa, they decided to, you know, take a chance on a white corner and then kind of it opened their eyes to saying, yo, you know what? Maybe there are some good white corners out there. So I feel like Cooper DeGene paved the way for Riley Moss both at Iowa and then again in the NFL, that you know what? Hey, the white corners can actually play. And so it's cool that they they they they will be kind of linked like that. And yeah, Riley Moss, I think we're gonna see him ascend. And if he can continue to ascend the way we see it, like where are you going with the football with against the Broncos? So that that's definitely gonna be a problem, without a doubt. All right, take us to our next person. Ari, go ahead.
SPEAKER_01Next on our list, we got Kamari Lasseter, and um, you know, just this the same idea as with uh Riley Moss, uh, being opposite of again one of the best corners in the NFL, and we'll get to both of those guys very briefly. Um just phenomenal. I think he's in his his second season in the NFL, and he's already again doing things like 17 pass breakups and four interceptions, and and the completion percentage is even lower than someone like Riley Moss. And you just you again, you you you have to watch this guy play. He's almost as good as Derek Stingley, and that is quite the feat, especially in just the second year in the NFL. Kamari Lassiter um is a good bet to be a lockdown corner for years to come. And his only bugaboo last year was uh the the touchdowns, a little too many touchdowns. Okay, again, like you know, it happens, but like the completion rate was there, the yards were there, uh, you know, he just he he looks the part, and um did he did he run out of steam a little at the end? Probably, but uh you know, just just all things considered, he looks like he's coming into his own as the second lockdown corner out on the same team, which is wild.
SPEAKER_00Well, my favorite thing about Kamari is the fact that you cannot spell his name without Ari. So there we go. And that would be my favorite thing, but all kidding aside and punts aside for a moment, I think the fact that you know, if you really think about one of the biggest differences between year one and year two for any player in the NFL is the fact that the off-season for a rookie is the combine and pro days and the drafts, and then so when they come into that training camp, you're really only kind of getting acclimated into the NFL at that point. Versus when you're coming into year two, your entire off season is now not getting my 40 time up or getting my long jump up or preparing for my pro day or preparing mentally for all the interviews that I'm gonna go through and all the medicals, etc. You can literally in the off season get in the gym, get in the lab, go to work, you know, strengthen what you need to strengthen in terms of if you want to be more explosive, if you want to be stronger, and then the way you roll up at at you know, report for the year at OTAs in year two is vastly different than what you do in year one. And I'm confident that with with Kamari being able to enter into the offseason like that and putting in the works with whatever coaches he has, um, both on the team and off the team, will help clean up some of those you know, touchdowns he gave up last year. And yeah, he's gonna be a help of corner for um many, many years to come. All right, moving on to our top four corner. We did have some debate exactly where on this list he should rank, um, but ultimately we went with your ex-boy over there, Sauce Gardner. And I think that he needs look, he needs to come back from injury and he's got to play well. He's got to play up to his pedigree. The Colts gave up a hell of a lot for him. And if he's either injured, gets off a slow start to the year, or just isn't able to pay back up to his level because of the injury, that is gonna ultimately end up being a trade that they regret, especially given the amount of draft picks that they gave up, especially knowing that they give up their first rounder in the you know, next year's draft in the 2020 2027 draft, which as we already know, and you had mentioned earlier, Ari, is probably gonna be the best first round that we've seen in like 20 years. That pick has a hell of a lot more value than other picks would. So Sauce has really got to get and I and I hope he does. I like him as a person. Um, I think that you know he brings a lot of personality, he's good in the community, and so I really hope that you know Sauce Gardner is able to come back from injury and really play at the level that he has the capability to be and get himself back into the top three and rival up there for the top one. I hope he's able to do that. I really hope he is. But this is definitely going to be a a season where no pun intended, he's got a target on his back in many, many ways.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and um, it was a little bit shocking to me as a Jets fan. Obviously, all the injuries in the second half, but it was even when he was on the field, just seeing him, he he just he just didn't look the same um as he did with the Jets. And uh, I don't know what it is, like everyone obviously is is rooting for him, and he he has uh as good of a chance going into any season to be the best corner in the league in that in that year, but I'd like to see it happen. And the price, and this is one of the one of the reasons why we did it like this, you know, the first guy and the last guy in tier two. Um, and it's just fascinating because Trent McDuffie cost the Rams, you know, maybe less than half of what the Colts gave up for Sauce Gardner. And and it's a little bit shocking because you look under the hood and you're like, okay, well, yeah, Sauce Gardner, he has he has that swagger of a top five corner, and Trent McDuffie has that swagger of a of a top 10 corner. But like, would you really give up so like what the the 16th pick this year as opposed to the 20-something pick that the that the Chiefs um had got for for McDuffie, and then another first next year. So, like that's a little bit of a wild uh uh difference for a uh not that big, not that big of a gap. Like whatever you want to say about it, it's not like a 60% yeah, definitely a two plus time. You know, I'd rather have Trent McDuffie and the one next year than Sauce Gardner, frankly. Um, but yeah, let's let's let's let's let him show us all that you know what he did in his first two and a half seasons still in there.
SPEAKER_00All right, excellent, which now moves us into our top tier. And you know, every one of these players from the minute they stepped onto the field, they absolutely just made their mark, made their difference. And I would say is it was it was I would say is while our top player on this list, you know, stood on his own. Um, I would say that you know, number players two and three in a way were you know, if we could have been, we would have done two A and two B as opposed to two and three, and they are just all incredible players at the top of their you know position. And you know, we don't even need to deep dive into exactly you know all what they've done because their play just speaks for their own. So I'm just gonna really quickly just run through their names. Um, none of their names should come as a surprise. If any of our listeners are not familiar with who these guys are, then guys, like you are not watching the NFL, no offense. And so our top three, number three is Devin Weatherspoon, number two on our list is Derek Stingley, and at the top by himself is Pat Surtain, and every one of these guys deserves the um top three that we ranking that we gave him, deserve the contract extensions that they have all signed, and they are the epitome of what a top cornerback in the NFL looks like. They all deserved their first round picks where they were all picked. And I was happy to see that Patrick Tain, while it wasn't a large amount of money, um, you know, the Broncos did reward his continuing to be incredible play, and they threw a few more million on his contract for him and gave him the ability to earn some more money, and rightfully so. And I feel like, you know, you've got to do right by your top players. And, you know, yes, obviously every few years you can go ahead and give that extension. But somebody who has the ability to play at the level that Pat Surtane did, the fact that they went ahead and added even more money on top of what he's already earning and making him a top player, by all means, well deserved. So, really, congratulations to Weatherspoon, Stingley, and Surtane. They all are incredible, incredible corners. And there's really not too much additional that needs to be added about these players. And I am confident that while we have other players that are going to move up and down this list, there is no reason to think that after the season, these same three players, while they may shuffle a little bit amongst themselves. I don't believe that there's any of the corners that we have previously listed on this list that are gonna unseat any of these three as three, two, and one on this list. I think that we're gonna see them kind of compete for themselves, you know, amongst themselves for let's say top 10 ranking, top 10 to top three ranking, but they're not gonna crack the top three. These guys barring injury are going to be sitting at the top three of this list for many years to come. They have a lot of career, a lot of football ahead of them. And if they can continue their level of play, the top three corners on our list are certainly going to be in Hall of Fame contention again. If they can continue doing what they have done until now. So that wraps up our top corners list. Ari, final thoughts overall about um the corners, maybe a surprise name that got on here, an honorable mention of someone who didn't make the list, or something that kind of you know sticks out to you overall. So final thoughts on the list, Ari.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, I I'll I'll have one uh uh name that I I really I'll I'll say two things. The first, number one, is that you know, it was we had a long debate about Devin Weatherspoon, where he was going to be exactly, because when he was on the field last year, he was probably the best looking corner in the league, yeah, but he just didn't play enough games and he's super young. So, you know, that was so like you mentioned and alluded to, the top three may shuffle, but they're just phenomenal and we'll probably stay top three. The other thing that I'll add is um I was very tempted to put Monsor Delane on the list. Um, Monsour Delane will be on the list next year. That's basically what I will say. Um, and we'll it'll be interesting to see if he is before or after Trent McDuffie on our on our list uh next year. Um, but but that's all I have to add. And I just wanted to make note that uh our next segment, we were planning on discussing coverage breakdowns, which is a little bit nitty-gritty, and we just don't have the time to delve into today. So we will start off our next podcast delving into all of the nitty-gritty of coverages five through eight, and it's really fascinating stuff. So uh please have patience and uh tune in next week.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. All right, so we will move on to our favorite segment, our fan favorite, which is going to be the guess that number. So we're gonna go ahead and jump ahead to that just because you know we were pressed on times. We were gonna discuss the AFC West. If you want, Ari, we could touch on it quickly after we go to guess that number. But the question is, do we want to give the AFC West the full attention that they deserve or not?
SPEAKER_01So I think that I think next week we should uh decide to you know start off with the coverage breakdown. We'll give the AFC as much coverage as possible, and then if we have time, we'll go into our receiver rankings, and if not, we could we could always split that up into a couple weeks and do a little spoiler for our receivers, and so we'll we'll see that. But I I like I definitely would like to give the AFC West its deserved uh time because uh we want we want to cover each team in depth. There's so much to discuss there.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, and I think you know they they definitely have the potential, and it seems to be this way. They every year have the potential to be the top division in football, and you they I mean, even the Raiders, who we both can agree are the fourth-ranked team in that division. There's plenty of room for improvement there, and you know, they they have the potential to be a division that sends at minimum three teams to the playoffs next year, and again, depending on how the Raiders do, who knows? Maybe we even see all four of the teams um in the FC West in the playoffs again, tall order. So I agree, Ari, let's go ahead and we will um focus the beginning of next week's episode on the um the film style breakdown on the coverages, like you mentioned, and then give the AFC West really the time that they go ahead and they absolutely um deserve. All right, so like I mentioned, let's get to our favorite segment, the fan favorite. Guess that number. So, to remind our listeners, um, last week Ari had chosen the number 76, I had chosen number 69, and Ari, do you want me to go first? Do you want to go first? How would you like to do this?
SPEAKER_01I'll I'll go first. I think you went first the last time, so I did. So I'll go first uh this time. Um, the player that I picked again. Um, this is a guy uh who at times was one of the most dominant players at his position, but it ended up being a little bit fleeting and went away almost as quickly as it came in. He was a sixth round pick in 2010 uh to an NFC South Two thousand and ten from an NFC South T.
SPEAKER_00I mean, you know, it's interesting. When you said 76 originally, the first number that came to mind was Orlando Pace, which it's not. Um so that was the first place that I went in 2010. 2010. Was it possibly? And I'm just this is a wild guess at this point. It wasn't Daniel Baldridge, was it? Who he was drafted in in 2010. That's just why. All right, I'm gonna need another hit. Give me another hit.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Uh this uh player played um five years with the Carolina Panthers, culminating in a Pro Bowl appearance and second team all pro. Um finally, after a lot of trial and tribulation, he ended up with the Dallas Cowboys, where they thought that they would unlock him for a brief period of time. He was insane, and then had happened in Carolina. His shenanigans ultimately got got him out of the league at the age of 27, and he never played again in the NFL. So his career was 2010 to 2015, where his impact was insane for two to three seasons and then never heard from again. But in 2012 and 2013, he was one of the, if not the best, at his position.
SPEAKER_00I've got it on the tip of my tongue, especially since he went on to then play with the cowboys.
SPEAKER_01That's that's Diana Roussini had the same exact situation. She had it on the tip of her tongue and then went on to play with some cowboys.
SPEAKER_00Ohri, arei, arei, aree. Um yes, we definitely need to touch, no pun intended, on on that a little bit more. Um, okay, wasn't Anthony Davis was it? Because he was drafted that year as well in 2010, but I don't believe he played for the for the NFC South, and I don't believe he played for the Cowboys, so it's not him.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it is not an off. I told you this last week, and that's why I'm reiterating. It is a defensive player, it is not an offensive lineman. We I just thought you heard me say, right.
SPEAKER_00I forgot that um um I forgot that you had given that hint. Um, let me think.
SPEAKER_01Okay, this is gonna take Anthony Davis was a phenomenal tackle before all the injuries. I forgot about that guy.
SPEAKER_00Let me if Anthony Davis, this is okay. Of course, I should have gone earlier because he's gone on to going to the UFC. It's Greg Hardy. There we go.
SPEAKER_01There we go. That was my last hint because I knew as soon as I would say it, you'd get it.
SPEAKER_00Um, yes, I should have remembered that. That's why I it was like on the tip of my tongue. Yeah, it's such a random. Like I forgot that you had said last week that he was a defensive player. Oh, I would have gotten that much quicker. Yeah, Greg Hardy, who went on to to fight after that, which suited him.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a nuts guy, but like when he was on, he was on. Oh yeah, what a it was so so one of my most favorite pass rushers to watch. We spoke about Micah Parsons last week and how much I love watching Micah Parsons. So, like, Greg Hardy was my Micah Parsons before Micah Parsons, right? If if Greg Hardy was playing, I was watching the game just to watch him. I just want to say, and then you can move on, just because you brought up Anthony Davis, and I had completely forgotten about that guy. This guy was so good as a young tackle with the 49ers, had terrible injuries, and he was drafted 11th or terrible injuries, ended up out of the league. If that never happens, the Niners never trade for Trent Williams. So it's kind of like crazy how how you know we mention these kind of things and how these things break down. And maybe that's an idea for a different time and a different segment where we could discuss like a what if scenario, like Anthony Davis never ends up getting hurt. Trent Williams, where does he end up going? Does he stay with the commanders and so on and so forth? So please let us know if you'd like to hear on some what-if scenarios at a future point in time uh on our podcast. Let us know, and uh we're we're happy to make those considerations. All right, with that being said, it is uh my turn uh to guess. So please, okay.
SPEAKER_00So offhand, before I give any hints, any idea who which player who wears 69 um I might be referring to.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I only off the top of my head know two guys that were number 69. The obvious one um from our lifetime is um uh is uh uh uh Jared Allen. Yes, not him because I that was gonna be the obvious one. And then um there was a famous uh Jets uh defensive end to wear number 69 as well that um is I'm blanking on. I was thinking of uh uh Cleco 73 and Gaston was uh 99, but I'm pretty sure they also had a very famous 69 as a defensive end, but um obviously it's neither of those neither of those, that is correct. So uh please provide me with some uh clip.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so number one, he is currently still playing in the NFL. Okay, number two, he was drafted in 2020, and number three, he was traded from the team that drafted him and is playing for another team today. Any ideas?
SPEAKER_01Um, you said uh 69 drafted in 2020.
SPEAKER_00Yep.
SPEAKER_01Um was traded uh not on the team that he's currently playing in.
SPEAKER_00What was the third thing? And it was he's currently playing the NFL, selected in the fourth. No, I didn't say that before, but I just he was selected in the fourth round and he no longer plays for the team that drafted him. He was traded, but is active in the NFL today.
SPEAKER_01Uh no it zero clue. Offense, defense, plays on offense. Plays on offense. Um, I I mean it's gonna be some offensive lineman who was drafted in 2020. Um, who who recently uh uh signed with uh a different team potentially. Uh what was it, Rashid Walker? No, it was not, no. Um sorry. I have no clue.
SPEAKER_00Okay, he was drafted by the Steelers.
SPEAKER_01Drafted by the Steelers. Um wow, interesting. Um how how random of a of a guy are we talking about?
SPEAKER_00Uh not too random. He is a starting guard. He was a starting guard from the get-go of his career and was traded to the new team. He is a starting guard for them and signed an extension with them in 2024.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh. Is the new team the the Rams? The new team is the Rams. Okay, fine. I I can't I can't think of the the dude's name. He he is he's one of the best guards uh in the league. Um, his name currently escapes me, but I know exactly who you're talking about. As I said, was he traded to the Rams? Um, he famously replaced uh uh their their longtime guard a couple years ago straight to the Rams. Um, and I just can't think of his name. Um so you can either give me like uh uh here's a crazy hint.
SPEAKER_00He has the same initials as Kevin Durant.
SPEAKER_01There we go. Kevin Durant. No, no, no, Kevin Dotson. That's his name. Thank you. Thank you for that.
SPEAKER_00Yes, Kevin Dotson selected uh 135th overall in the fourth round in the 2020 draft, played for the Steelers. He actually made his debut in 2020 against my New York football giants, having replaced uh um Stefan Wisniski, I believe his name was Washnuski. Was Niski, sorry, um, start very long tenured starting guard for the for the Steelers at the time. Um, he was ultimately um he was with them, um, got injured, and then um in August of 2023, um, Steelers were traded, it's Steelers traded him along with their 2024 fifth round draft pick and their 2025 sixth round draft pick to the LA Rams for their 2024 fourth round pick and 2025 um fifth round pick. And in March of 2024, he did sign a three or 48 million dollar extension with the Los Angeles Rams. So that was our guess, that number segment. Ari, number for next week, my friend.
SPEAKER_01I got 31 for you, Ari. I think you're going to enjoy it immensely. And to be clear, it is not Deion Sanders. Deion Sanders wore number 21. Oh, sorry, it was 37. And then yes, yes. No, no, this guy, this guy wore 31, like not the entirety of his career, but like you know, 90 something like he was number 31.
SPEAKER_00Or she's even though you're she's going against your you're slightly going against your rules there. What do you mean? Well, because remember, we said they have to have worn the jersey the entire time, unless, like, in Deion Sanders' case, we can make some cool exceptions.
SPEAKER_01No, no, but it's the number that he wore the whole time, and then like basically it's as follows like a mat like Michael Vick, okay, he was iconic for the Atlanta Falcons wearing number seven, and then he wore number one on the Jets or number two uh and number two on the Steelers. So if you said Michael Vick as number one or number two, that would be ridiculous. But Michael Vick as number seven, that's totally good. So if if you're talking about a player who everyone knows him by this iconic number um that he wore, and then the last year in this guy in the last year of his career went to a different team, wore a different number. I didn't even remember it off the top of my head, and I'm sure most people wouldn't. Um, it's uh you know that that kind of situation. Like, like imagine Jeremy Shockey um, you know, with his in the in his two years with New Orleans, wore 88, where the rest of his career was 80. So, you know, if you know Jerem Jeremy Shockey is synonymous with number 80, you know, like that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00All right, so in summary, you are going with number 31, correct?
SPEAKER_01That is correct.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I'm going not because you had mentioned just mention the number. It's funny that you did because I was like, I'm going with number seven, and then you're like started talking about a number seven of Michael Vick. So I'm going with number seven. No, it is not Michael Vick. Um, but there were a lot of players to famously wear um number seven. So I went with an interesting one. So there we go.
SPEAKER_01That's cool. Um, I just want to add like one thing with because we're talking about this, is just like Akeep Talib, for example, who wore 31 on the Patriots. So he wore 25 on the Buccaneers, he wore 21 on the Broncos and 21 on the Rams. He'd be someone that I'd say, like, let's not let's not use that because it's just too crazy. He was really synonymous with three different number choices. Um, and it would just be very difficult, you know. Even in those years with the Patriots, you know, with Malcolm Butler, anyways, you get the point. I am done talking. All right, excellent.
SPEAKER_00So that wraps up another edition of Ari Squared. Guys, go ahead and give us a subscribe on YouTube. Please go ahead and subscribe, rate, comment, share.
SPEAKER_01Guys, let's go ahead and it's all about Diana Roussini's physique. That's all of what you were talking about, you know. Nothing about people with our podcast.
SPEAKER_00All right, Ari, you know, it's funny. Like, uh I wanted to go a lot deeper into the whole Diana Roussini and Mike Vrabel thing. You were not, you were a little bit more reluctant, and now you're throwing lots of jokes out about it. So I think it's time for us to go even deeper into and more in depth, um, possibly about tight ends in regards to Diana Roussini and Mike Vrabel, but more on that next episode. So, join us again for another edition of Ari Squared next week, guys. Go ahead, follow us on Instagram. Go ahead and hit that download button on your favorite podcast platform. And of course, and I know I've said this four times already. Go ahead and give us a subscribe on YouTube on behalf of both Ari and I. Peace. We out.